Essex County again votes blue in midterm elections

Photo Courtesy of Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr.
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. took his grandchildren, Cam and Hailey, to the polls with him when he voted on Nov. 8. DiVincenzo has been overwhelmingly reelected to a sixth term.

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — In Essex County, residents overwhelmingly voted blue in county, state and national elections. County Clerk Christopher Durkin certified the election on Nov. 17; all Essex County results listed came from the clerk’s website on Nov. 17.

On the national stage, Democratic incumbent Mikie Sherrill will get to keep her seat representing the 11th Congressional District, which includes portions of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties. Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Maplewood and South Orange are in the 11th District. According to results reported by the Associated Press, with 95 percent of districts reporting, Sherrill received 149,054 votes, or 58.1 percent. As for the two challengers, Republican Paul DeGroot received 105,518 votes, or 41.1 percent, and Libertarian Joseph Biasco received 2,130 votes, or 0.8 percent. Here in Essex County, with all districts reporting, Sherrill received 67,577 votes, or 70.89 percent, while DeGroot received 26,962 votes, or 28.28 percent, and Biasco received just 787 votes, or 0.83 percent.

Additionally, Democratic incumbent Donald M. Payne Jr. will keep his seat representing the 10th Congressional District, which includes portions of Essex, Hudson and Union counties. East Orange, Irvington, Orange and West Orange fall within the 10th District. According to results reported by the Associated Press, with 95 percent of districts reporting, Payne garnered 94,858 votes, or 77.2 percent. Among the challengers, Republican David H. Pinckney received 25,218 votes, or 20.5 percent; “Jobs and Justice” candidate Cynthia A. Johnson received 1,855 votes, or 1.5 percent; Libertarian Kendal Ludden received 604 votes, or 0.5 percent; and Clenard Howard Childress Jr. of the Mahali Party received 369 votes, or 0.3 percent. Here in Essex County, with 281 of 282 districts reporting in, Payne received 54,086 votes, or 85.11 percent; Pinckney received 7,988 votes, or 12.57 percent; Johnson received 1,048 votes, or 1.65 percent; Ludden received 240 votes, or 0.38 percent; and Childress received 186 votes, or 0.29 percent.

“I want to send my heartfelt thanks to the voters of New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District for reelecting me to serve as their representative in Congress,” Payne said in a Nov. 9 press release. “I am extremely grateful to continue my work for the people and communities of my district. I look forward to working to improve their access to health care, lower inflation for working families, increase jobs and opportunities for all Americans, and end gun violence. It is an honor and a privilege to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and fight for the people of the 10th Congressional District.”

On the state level, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Irvington, Nutley and some Newark residents voted in a special election for state senator of the 28th Legislative District. Democrat Renee Burgess beat Republican Joy Bembry-Freeman for the open seat. Burgess, who previously served as Irvington Township Council president, had previously been sworn in as the 28th District’s state senator on Sept. 29, following the resignation of longtime state Sen. Ronald L. Rice. Burgess was chosen by Essex County Democrats in early September to succeed Rice temporarily. Having won this special election, Burgess will serve through the rest of Rice’s term, which expires in January 2024. According to the clerk’s office, with all districts reporting, Burgess received 30,535 votes, or 77.58 percent, and Bembry-Freeman received 8,825 votes, or 22.42 percent.

On the county level, Democratic incumbent Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. was reelected to his sixth four-year term as county executive. With 564 of 565 districts reporting, DiVincenzo garnered 129,537 votes, or 80.16 percent, while challenger Republican Adam Kraemer received 32,064 votes, or 19.84 percent.